1. Listen: Orphan Black: The Next Chapter
The science-fiction series Orphan Black (2013 to 2017) gained a cult following over five seasons for its story about women who discover, to their shock, that they are in fact clones. Lead actress Tatiana Maslany received much critical acclaim during her time on the show for playing dozens of different characters - all of whom are genetically identical clones.
Though the drama finished its run in 2017, an official continuation is available in audio format and featuring the voice of Maslany. While the podcast would be hard to follow if you did not watch the series, you can catch all five seasons of the show on Netflix.
The narrative begins eight years after the end of the series and members of the Clone Club - a term used to refer to the main characters in the series - are still quietly dealing with the after-effects of taking down the experiment that created them.
But when an intelligence agent finds out that she, too, is a clone and goes rogue, the future of her fellow clones is threatened.
The podcast captures what fans loved about the series, especially as Maslany slips back into the multiple roles that made her famous, once again breathing life into fan-favourite clone characters such as scientist Cosima and uptight suburban wife Alison.
The first season was recently made free and a second season will be launched in October. Episodes of the podcast can be found on audio streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts.
Info: Realm's website
2. Play: Baba Is You
Puzzle video game Baba Is You, created by Finnish developer Arvi Teikari, is the perfect game to while the time away. In the game, Baba is a bunny-like creature that the player can control.
While most games have rules that cannot be broken, the block-pushing game Baba Is You is about breaking rules. Each level of the game has rules - spelt out in word tiles which may be pushed around - that can be manipulated to change conditions within the game.
With more than 200 levels that increase in difficulty and become more complex as more rules and conditions are introduced, players have to engage in complex logical thinking to create new rules or invalidate old ones in order to reach the tile that would give them a win.
The game, which costs $14.50 on Steam, can be downloaded on Windows, macOS and Linux systems. It is also available on Nintendo Switch.
Info: Steam's website
3. Watch: Mare Of Easttown
If you are craving a murder mystery, HBO series Mare Of Easttown is it. The drama starring British actress Kate Winslet is not particularly innovative, but it is a whodunnit done well.
Winslet plays world-weary cop Mare, who is based in a small suburb near Philadelphia and tasked to solve the murder of a young teenage mother found shot dead. As her life crumbles around her, Mare discovers that her small, tight-knit community is filled with secrets.
The series has been popular with audiences and critics and praised for its excellent acting, in particular Winslet's accent work and her nuanced performance as well as that of supporting actresses such as Jean Smart and Julianne Nicholson. Smart plays Winslet's mother, while Nicholson plays her best friend. And though the series boasts shocking twists, there is no need to wait week after week to find out who the murderer is. It finished its run at the end of last month and all seven episodes are available on demand on HBO Go.
Info: Go to HBO Go
4. Cook up hearty, meat-free beetroot soup
For a hearty meat-free soup, try making beetroot soup.
Beetroot is the star of this medley of vegetables. It has vitamins A and C, potassium and folate, but the red hue of the soup may put off those who are not used to the ingredient. The soup is so sweet and nutritious though, so it is certainly worth adding to your home-cooking repertoire.
I am not a big fan of the root, but I find it palatable when cooked in a soup.
